Question

A blindfolded person can locate the source of a continuous tone of 1000 Hz that is to the left of the person because the tone?

1) timbre is different in the right ear relative to the left ear.
2) will generate maximal firing rates in the left auditory nerve.
3) will generate stimulation of the eardrums that is 180 degrees out of phase.
4) generates a sonic shadow such that the right ear detects a different sound intensity than the left ear.
5) B and D are correct

Answer 1

A blindfolded person can locate the source of a 1000 Hz tone to their left by using the interaural intensity difference, where the sound is slightly louder in the left ear than in the right ear due to a sonic shadow caused by the head.

Step-by-step explanation:

A blindfolded person can locate the source of a continuous tone of 1000 Hz that is to the left of the person because the tone generates a sonic shadow such that the right ear detects a different sound intensity than the left ear, and this difference in sound intensity is used by the brain to determine the direction of the sound source. This type of auditory spatial cue is referred to as an interaural intensity difference, which is crucial in the process of sound localization. The brain calculates this along with the interaural time difference, where a sound originating from a specific location arrives at each ear at different times, unless the sound is directly in front of the listener.